Star Starless

"Ok then. Talk." Iris demanded. Otto thought he was imagining it, but he could have sworn the brown-haired boy's eyes were turning gray. Nope, the were definitely turning gray. The whites of his eyes and pupils were slowly replaced with a light gray color. Otto didn't know where to begin. "So, when Kamado came back to the island, he found Cedar..."

(He needs it. Poor guy)

Iris glared at Cedar. "Why shouldn't we? Otto didn't look bothered. "We just came here to talk."

"It's hard to turn away from violence when its what you were raised to do. Remember when I said I was raised to be Kuzon Jr? Well, the war was his idea, and I was his puppet. From the time I was born, I was shaped into the person I am today. The person that kills when things don't go his way, and kills when he gets scared. I've never known anything but bloodlust and war, so it's what I resort to." Kamado admitted. What am I doing? I'm spilling my deepest secrets to this child I met not even an hour ago! However, Kamado felt slightly at ease to have someone listen to him and his story for once.

(The Iris vs Otto showdown) Otto grabbed Cedar's hand. I'm here for you. "Yes. I'm Otto. Got a problem with that?" Iris chuckled. "No. Just wanted to see the guy that our friend ditched us for. So, Kamado huh? What messed up delusions did he tell you to get you to join his side?" For a slight second Iris saw panic flash through Otto's eyes. Otto thought back to the day he had first joined Kamado. Back to the accident. But Otto pushed the thoughts away. He needed to be here for Cedar. His emotional past was something to deal with later. "I have my reasons."

"You 5 are all the last rouge elementalists left. Most of you alone are insignificant, especially those of you whose inner spirits aren't gods, like Cedar, Lynx, and Moeruhime. You and Lockwood do have gods as your inner spirits, which makes you a threat to my throne if you decide to overthrow me. And don't get me started on Iris. He's the main one I want to kill. I tried to kill him before he got a grasp at his powers, but I failed, and the best I could do was wipe his memory and make him forget for 6 years. But now that Fotia's back, she's showing him things and if he learns to master his powers-" Kamado pointed to his arm, which was now gray and cracked. "Then none of the kingdoms stand a chance against his wrath if he chooses to do so."

"No." Otto said. "But we can try our best." Otto pushed open the door to the inn and saw 2 boys standing in the lobby. One had tan skin and fluffy, dark brown hair, and the other was holding a notebook and had blond hair. The brown-haired boy turned around. "So, you came back. Is this your little buddy Otto?"

"Okay. I wanted you to come with me anyways." Otto smiled.

"I'll be fine." Otto replied. "They may be elementalists, but I also know how to fight."

Otto hugged Cedar tighter. "I'm sorry." he said. "You're the sweetest person I've ever met and don't deserve this. We'll get your friends back. Maybe I can go talk to them and explain. This Iris person sounds like something else has been bothering him, and he just took it out on you, if I'm being honest."

"Tell me what happened." Otto said. "Only if you want to, though."

Iris looked at his feet. Did we look long enough? He clearly survived... he thought.

"Well, I was going to throw you in prison and force you to tell me where your friends were, but considering that you joined me I suppose we'll get you a nice room in my palace and then feed you something other than bar food." Kamado said.

"Maybe it is a smile. I do smile occasionally. And I'd prefer for you to call me 'Sir'." Kamado said.

Kamado cracked a small smile. "You called me 'Sir'. Not 'Evil Fire Man' or 'Person That Tried to Kill Me Multiple Times'. So yes, I think you addressed me with respect."

"You're the first person who hasn't given me backlash for killing my father." Kamado admitted. "The entire kingdom was distraught that a murderer was now ruling them. And they had no clue that my father was plotting this whole war for 15 years." Something about Kamado's tone turned more casual, and less tense. "Did you just address me with respect?"

Kamado bit back a chuckle. He remembered times back when he was young and free like Vivus was currently. He didn't know what it was about her, but something told him that she was different. That she could be trusted. He saw that she had gone through stuff like he had. They were similar. Outcasts of their own friends and families. "I probably didn't go about his rejection of my sexuality in the best way." Kamado admitted. "My father took the love of my life away from me without a second thought and took his life like it was nothing. That was the last straw. My father had always forced me to maintain this perfect 'image' of what I was supposed to look like. I was first in line for the throne, which meant that I was always under my father's watch, being born just to be molded into Kuzon Jr. I was never given time to be me. So when he killed the one person I actually cared about, I killed him." Kamado sighed.

"I'm not completely heartless, Vivus." Kamado sighed. "I did love someone once. A long time ago. But... my father didn't approve, and he killed him. Apparently being gay isn't good for the 'royal image'." Kamado sighed. "I don't know why I just told you that... I've never told anyone about my greatest flaw."

Sadness filled Iris's eyes and they returned to their normal color. "Lockwood... he yelled at us for leaving him when we thought he was dead... he joined your grandfather! Did... did you know about this? Did you know he was alive and didn't tell me or Vivus?"

"What if I am?" Kamado said.

"Dead?" he supplied.

"No. It's one of my specialties." Kamado said.

Kamado raised an eyebrow. "Do you ever shut up?"

"No, I'm not." Kamado said dryly.

Otto blushed a little bit and just hugged Cedar.